Forked from aruth, adding optional chat backlog and more customizable message format. Will remove this package if my changes get merged
In order to use it you need to set two Session variables:
Session.set('chapp-username','Desired username'); //you could set the user name on user login
Session.set('chapp-docid','uniqueIdentifier'); //The room identifier. Iron router's before action can be a great spot to set this.
Session.set('chapp-historysince',new Date()); //Limit messages based on the date they were posted
The variables are reactive, you can change them at any time.
Then, in your template all the chat template: {{>chapp_form}}
These are the chat templates, you can style the look and feel in your css:
<template name="chapp_form">
<div id="chapp_wrapper">
<div id="chapp_text">
{{#each chapp}}
{{>chapp_item}}
{{/each}}
</div>
<form id="chapp-form">
<div id="chapp-input-div"><input id="chapp-input" type="text" placeholder="Enter your message here" /></div>
<button id="chapp-button" type="submit">Send</button>
</form>
</div>
</template>
<template name="chapp_item">
<p>
<span class="chapp-chat-date">{{formatDate chatDate}}</span> |
<span class="chapp-username">{{chatUserName}}:</span>
<span class="chapp-message">{{chatText}}</span>
</p>
</template>
This is far from ready, but usable. I've published it to familiarize myself with the new package system. It's tested in a real Meteor app, but doesn't have yet test suites.